Christmas advertisements have been clamoring since mid-October with one goal in mind: getting you to spend your hard earned money. The messages are all the same under the glitz and glitter: what you have isn’t good enough and you’ll be happy if you buy this.
Halloween comes with decorations, candy, costumes, scary movies, spooky books, boo baskets, and crafts. Christmas comes with ornaments, garland, trees, accessories, gift sets, ugly sweaters, cookies, cakes, candies, gift bags, wrapping paper, bows, excess galore. Thanksgiving gets one measly fall aisle for a week or so if it’s lucky. There’s a reason for it – turkey day doesn’t get much air-time in stores because gratitude doesn’t really mesh with peddling unnecessary crap.
I disagree with advertising as a whole, and try to minimize it anyway I can in my life (unfollow those that sell things or try to convince you to need things, opt-out of email ads and catalogs, skip commercials, etc.). It’s impossible to avoid it all though, and every November I keep a running “I’m Rich!” list to help cultivate my attitude of gratitude. I hope you’ll do the same, it can surprisingly effective at quelling the inadequate feelings advertisements bring on. Here’s mine so far this year:
I have access to almost any book, anytime (thanks, library and libby app!)
I turn on the shower & there’s hot water
I can buy any of my family’s true necessities without worry
I have friends that I love & that love me
I ended up marrying my best friend
I have a good relationship with my in-laws
My children are happy & healthy
My body is healthy, capable, & strong
I have access to physical movement that I truly enjoy
I have cats & sometimes they cuddle me + purr
I can have fresh ground coffee in my pjs at anytime
I can wash & dry our linens + clothes without leaving the house
I get to stay home with my babies as they grow
We have a safe, stable home to live in
Your list might not be exactly the same as mine, and that’s ok! Maybe you’re rich in having nearby family to help (we are not so lucky in that department) or having a career you enjoy or even just one that pays the bills is still quite a blessing. Maybe you love the view from your kitchen window or getting to soak in a bathtub occasionally. Maybe you relish the spectacular desert sunsets or the ability to hike in the winter. When you truly, truly examine your life for the good, I hope you get to exclaim “I’m rich!” and appreciate it.
Disclaimer/Reality Check: We still get sucked into the excess of holidays, though I try very, very hard not to. I buy matching Christmas pjs every year, no one’s perfect. I’ll write about how I try to keep our Christmas family oriented vs. consuming heavy in a week or so. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. It may be a badly written holiday poem or a catchy re-write of a famous carol. It could possibly be a rambling on elf on the shelf. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
